The Brigantine Hotel
Mr. Sneed: Peace, FATHER.
FATHER: Peace.
Mr. Sneed: This is Leon Sneed from the Afro.
FATHER: Oh yes, Mr. Sneed, how are you?
Mr. Sneed: Quite well. I was calling to see if I could get a statement from You regarding the leasing of the Brigantine Hotel to the Coast Guard. I thought maybe You might have something to say about it.
FATHER: Well, just what was in the Atlantic City papers.
Mr. Sneed: Well, they said that You had turned it over without charge.
FATHER: You see, the hotel did not belong to Me...
Mr. Sneed: Uh-huh.
FATHER: ...just as the press said; but it was granted to us, the church, for the purpose of organizing a church down there and it was organized, dedicated and incorporated; and when they spoke to Me about leasing the place I told them I would not be in a position to lease it out to others because it was only a grant to us as the church, you see, and the church had organized and dedicated and incorporated the property, the place there; and of course we held a meeting last Saturday a week ago when we were there, to waive our rights to the use of the property for the duration, if the owners desired to lease it to the Coast Guard. The church agreed to waive our rights for the duration; hence, the trustees of the church delegated someone to notify all of the owners that we had relinquished our claim to the use of the property for the duration, as it was only a grant to us, but they would not have had the privilege or right to lease it to anyone else without our releasing our right to use it. It was agreed upon by the church, and at My suggestion they agreed to give the government the same privilege, the same grant: to use it for the duration without remuneration.
Mr. Sneed: You said the owners--You mean the seventy-five or eighty disciples of Yours that bought the church?
FATHER: Yes, those who own the property. You see, those who own the property are a number of believers of Mine. It is true, they are believers and followers, but they were not the Actual church.
Mr. Sneed: I get it.
FATHER: You see, the church organized down there, the Palace Mission Church of New York City organized and dedicated the place to the Palace Mission Church and hence it is really a church; it has been incorporated and the church would not have the authority to lease it to anyone else but they had the authority to waive the grant of the usage of the property.
Mr. Sneed: Well, I understand that the Coast Guard wanted to pay You a sum and that You refused it.
FATHER: Oh yes. They offered ten thousand dollars a year, but it was not in My Personal power to lease it for any price, and of course we would not be interested in the leasing of it anyway and we would not be interested in the monetary side of it. Hence, the owners, as followers of Mine, according to My suggestion, they also agreed to do even as we, the church, gave up our rights to the use of it for the duration, if it would be of service to the government, and in turn the owners have given up their rights to the usage of the property for the duration to the government. Hence, they, the government, will get it gratis, although the government did offer ten thousand a year, which according to what some observers said it could be more, but they right off offered ten thousand a year. But the followers as the owners of the property are willing to contribute the would-be ten thousand dollars a year for the duration to the government as a donation, as a patriotic duty and for the purpose of co-operating. You see, they would receive ten thousand dollars a year at least.
Mr. Sneed: Well, the furnishings and so forth, will that remain there?
FATHER: That I do not bear record of. I have only heard them say the building. But I think there will be some arrangements made very shortly for the turning over of the property entirely to the Coast Guards as I had met a number of them down there of mixed groups. They said they would use it for the purpose, for mixed groups the same as I have there.
Mr. Sneed: You mean there would be no segregation?
FATHER: Yes, they said there would be no segregation and, of course, they were without accommodation at the Coast Guard station and they did not have water to take baths or anything of that sort, and it was first brought to My attention that there were about thirty on the island at the time who desired to get showers and they came to the manager and asked the privilege of the thirty Coast Guards taking showers there, and that was granted them, and I suggested maybe if they did not have very good accommodations where they were, why, owing to the winter season we would not be overcrowded, we thought we could give them the use of at least one or two floors for as many as were there at the time, but since that time a good many came in--I mean, were sent there--a good many have been sent to the island so they would need the whole building. But the followers had agreed--at least the church had suggested giving them the use of at least one floor because there were quite a number who could not get baths for some time where they were.
Mr. Sneed: Well, tell me this, FATHER--You met with the officials of the government?--I mean about turning over the hotel and church.
FATHER: Yes, I did.
Mr. Sneed: I mean, was that in the agreement that there would be no segregation?
FATHER: Well, it wasn't exactly in the agreement. The agreement has not been signed yet, but those with whom I spoke told the representatives that there would be no segregation among them, and of course we understand it will give accommodation to a good many of the Coast Guards who are of the different groups; and owing to the fact it was for humanity's sake and many were suffering and did not have the accommodation to take baths and were not comfortable where they were, we thought that it would be just a patriotic duty to do something in that line and not more than a humane act.
Mr. Sneed: Well, tell me this, FATHER: if they had said they would have used it for just one group, would You have turned it over?
FATHER: Well, of course, Personally it is not in My power to do anything more than what I have done. As the Pastor of the church that the owners had granted to organize down there and dedicate and incorporate, why, naturally we, the church, were the first ones to relinquish our claim, and since that time we have been working last week to get the owners together to get them to endorse the government taking over.
Mr. Sneed: I see. Well, how many owners are there?
FATHER: I think they say there are--well, it is more than or around eighty, I think.
Mr. Sneed: I see.
FATHER: But the point of it was, it was the method of the owners to try to co-operate with the government as well also as doing a humane act to get those boys inside where they would be comfortable and where they could get baths.
Mr. Sneed: All right, FATHER. That was a very fine thing, I think. I know the government appreciates the move.
FATHER: Yes, they do. I hope they do. Of course, the owners are giving the government the ten thousand dollars that they actually offered. They offhandedly offered without any negotiation, ten thousand dollars to Me, but I did not have anything to do with the negotiation of the leasing of the property, so I told them it would be up to the owners. Nevertheless, it was reasonably considered by the majority of the people, citizens of Brigantine and Atlantic City, that they would have been willing to give at least twelve thousand dollars a year. Nevertheless, the amount that they would have given or have offered, the owners are willing to contribute that as a donation to help the government for the duration. And I have a copy of a telegram here I sent the Commander last Saturday when I arrived there with the message. Just hold the wire a moment. (Returning a moment later). This is a copy of the telegram I sent the Coast Guard Commander at the station in Wildwood after I arrived and just missed him. I did not get in touch with him when I arrived with the message that the followers, the majority of them, had agreed to turn it over to them gratis even as we had received it gratis as the church.
This is the telegram I sent him (reading)
'Regret missing interview. Tried to reach you by phone today. According to information just received, majority of the owners of Brigantine Hotel are willing to grant the government the use of the hotel for the duration without remuneration, even as they have granted the church the use of it gratis.
REV. M. J. DIVINE
(Better known as FATHER DIVINE)
That was the telegram I sent him after I could not get in touch with him.
Mr. Sneed: Do You have his name there?
FATHER: Yes. Commander Hitchins.
Mr. Sneed: Hitchins?
FATHER: Yes. Hitchins.
Mr. Sneed: Okay.
FATHER: That was the exact telegram I sent him at the Coast Guard station.
Mr. Sneed: Okay. When did You officially turn the hotel over? Was it Saturday, Sunday, or that has not been done yet?
FATHER: It was agreed upon. It has been fundamentally established, according to information, and a goodly number of the owners held a meeting t the Rockland Palace, the Palace Mission Church in New York City Sunday night, affirming the agreement.
Mr. Sneed: Uh-huh.
FATHER: As many as they could get together, they held a meeting, affirming the agreement Sunday night--last night. A Historical Event
Mr. Sneed: Well, the reason I asked was because I thought maybe there would have to be some signing and I would like for our photographers to be there to take pictures when this is done. After all, this is a historical event, You see, because You just don't turn over...
FATHER: Yes. Well, I do not bear record just exactly how the closing details will be carried out but I know it has been agreed upon by the owners, as many as we could get in touch with, and of course we had held a meeting at the Palace last night and the majority of them agreed to the same-- I mean agreed to the suggestion and would be willing to grant it even as they granted it to the church for the duration without remuneration.
Mr. Sneed: Uh-huh. Well, will You be there when the final papers are signed and so forth, do You think?
FATHER: Well, I cannot say. That will be up to the government representatives and the owners to decide how they mean to close the deal, to sign the agreement.
Mr. Sneed: Well, I wish You would do me this favor, FATHER, if You do learn that You will be there; just have someone telephone me here and leave that message if I am not here. I would like to be in on it.
FATHER: Yes. Well, I would be pleased to let you know if it is convenient to do so; however, it is pretty final...
Mr. Sneed: Oh, I know that, but I mean, You have to go through the form of turning it over--I mean as far as that is concerned the government has the hotel; but I mean, You know, they go through the formalities of it and I would... A Blessing as Well as a Duty
FATHER: The owners felt it would be a blessing and a patriotic duty to contribute the use of it to the government, as well also as to contribute...
Mr. Sneed: ...the money.
FATHER: ...the money, the ten thousand dollars yearly gratis, because they offered that, and they thought it would be a great blessing especially to the Coast Guard, because they were without accommodation there; and I felt very sympathetic for them and of course I suggested their doing so, if they desired to do it, because there is no way to lose by co-operation...
Mr. Sneed: No, that's right.
FATHER: ...with and for a good cause, a good purpose.
Mr. Sneed: All right then, FATHER, and thanks a lot.
FATHER: You're welcome, I'm sure.
Mr. Sneed: All right. Peace.
FATHER: Peace!
The New Day: November 26, 1942 A.D.F.D. - Pg. 23-25
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